


The Tale of Willow the Lizard

by entropychanges



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Alex Manes Week 2020, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Manes Brothers - Freeform, Pre-Canon, willow the lizard - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 18:55:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24880414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/entropychanges/pseuds/entropychanges
Summary: “I know you’re scared, Alex. As much as I know I have to do this, I hate myself for it too. I hate that I’m leaving you alone with him.”Alex took a shaky breath and leaned against his brother.“It’s just one more year, right? One more year and I can leave too.”“One more year and you can go off and be the vagabond musician you were always meant to be,” Greg responded, chuckling lightly. Alex laughed along.Or, how Alex got his lizard named Willow.
Relationships: Alex Manes & Gregory Manes
Comments: 7
Kudos: 44





	The Tale of Willow the Lizard

**Author's Note:**

> This is for Alex Manes Week 2020 Day 1: Family + Pets
> 
> I'm a little behind, but this idea popped in my head the second I hit my head on my pillow Monday night and I had to write it!

“What are you doing up there?”

Alex wanted to glare at his older brother as he approached him, but instead it came across as a pout that, paired with the fact that he was sitting in his old treehouse with his legs dangling down the ladder, made him look like a tall, emo child. 

“What do you want, Greg?” Alex asked, refusing to look him in the eye.

Today was the day that Gregory was going to basic training, and as much as Alex hated to admit it, he didn’t want his brother to leave. The Manes brothers would never have the relationship of a normal family, thanks to their father’s “parenting” methods that relied on the boys being in a constant state of competition. Jesse referred to it as “toughening them up”, but really it was a sick form of divide-and-conquer to ensure that they wouldn’t try to come to each other's defense when he beat them. 

It worked with Flint and Clay - they believed their father when they were told that Alex was weak, that he was soft, that he was a sissy. So, they took it upon themselves to become just as bad as Valenti would become in his high school years. And, when their father pulled out the belt, or used his fists, or pushed him down the stairs, they turned a blind eye and pretended it didn’t happen. Whether they did it out of fear or because they thought he deserved it, Alex would never know.

Greg, however, was different. While he didn’t have the guts to stand up to their father, he showed kindness to Alex, which is more than could be said about anyone else in the family. They could talk to each other, about school, friends, movies, the awful things their father did or said, their escape plans for when those awful things went too far, the future. Greg was the first person he came out to, after Liz and Maria. He wasn’t surprised, but he was supportive. Alex trusted him.

That is, until Greg announced that he was going into the Navy. 

“Alex, you know I’m leaving today. Could you please drop the act and just look at me?”

Desperation was something that Jesse Manes hated, and tried his best to torture (physically or psychologically) out of his sons. Manes Men didn’t plead or beg, they stood their ground without emotion. Yet, somehow, that’s how Greg sounded. Desperate.

So Alex looked. And his childish pout melted as he held Greg’s gaze, a stoic look settling on his face.

“Fine. I’ll look at you, I’ll listen, I’ll even say goodbye. But I won’t praise you.”

“I know, Alex.”

“I won’t wish you good luck.”

“That’s fine.”

“I won’t pretend like it’s a good thing that you’re becoming another copy of Dad-”

“Dammit Alex, I’m not Dad!”

Greg’s voice cracked. Alex’s eyes widened in surprise. Alex was always the emotional one, the one who let his hysteria get in his way. Right now, it was Greg that let his feelings through.

“I never will be Dad! Yeah, Alex, I’m going into the Navy. But not because I’m some monster like him,” he said, gesturing to the house behind him, “but because I want to get out! I want to leave Roswell, and with the scholarship money I’ll get from the military, I want to go to school and make a life for myself. So no, you don’t have to be happy for me, but at least don’t compare me to him.”

Alex’s facade cracked. He let his face drop and said,  
“I-I’m sorry Greg. I do want that for you, I want you to get out. I’m just scared.”

Greg climbed up the ladder and sat down by his brother.  
“I know you’re scared, Alex. As much as I know I have to do this, I hate myself for it too. I hate that I’m leaving you alone with him.”

Alex took a shaky breath and leaned against his brother. 

“It’s just one more year, right? One more year and I can leave too.”

“One more year and you can go off and be the vagabond musician you were always meant to be,” Greg responded, chuckling lightly. Alex laughed along.

“I have something to show you. I wanted to give you something before I leave, something that’ll protect you the way I should have.”

“What is it?”

“Come on, I’ll show you. It’s in your room.”

Alex’s room was mostly barren, per their father’s command. Most of Alex’s posters and books were in the toolshed, a secluded place he’d found a couple years ago that Jesse never went in. His room just held an empty desk, a bed that he made every morning, and… 

“Is that a terrarium?” Alex gasped, rushing towards it.

Greg smiled and said, “It sure is. I know you’ve been asking Dad for a lizard for months…”

“You got me a bearded dragon?” Alex asked in wonder as he gently took the animal out of its cage.

“Yeah, do you like her?”

Alex nodded hastily, still entranced by the lizard in his hand. 

“You could name her after a character of that show you like so much, about the vampire killers?”  
“You mean Buffy the Vampire Slayer?” While Alex was an avid Buffy fan, it was a little too campy for Greg’s taste. Still, he tried to watch a few episodes with Alex so they could have something in common.

“Yeah, that! You could name her Spike!”

Alex shot him a look. 

“I’m not naming her Spike,” he said. Then, he smiled gently. “I’ll name her Willow.”

He put the bearded dragon back in its habitat and pulled his brother into a hug. 

“Thanks, Greg. I know she’ll protect me from monsters while you’re gone.”

Greg pulled away, his eyes teary. 

“I’ll miss you, Alex. Stay safe, okay? And get out of here, as soon as you can.”

Alex nodded, his eyes filling with tears as well. 

“I will Greg. I’ll get out of here and never look back.”

**Author's Note:**

> please remember to wash your hands before and after handling any reptile


End file.
